_______________________________________________
HOUSE
BILL 1599
_______________________________________________
AS
AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed
Legislature - 1999 Regular Session
State of Washington 56th
Legislature 1999 Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/29/1999.
Referred to Committee on Local Government.
Creating
an account to reimburse counties for extraordinary costs in the criminal
justice system.
AN
ACT Relating to court funding; and adding a new section to chapter 43.330 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. A
new section is added to chapter 43.330 RCW to read as follows:
Counties
may submit a petition for relief to the office of public defense for
reimbursement of extraordinary criminal justice costs. Extraordinary criminal
justice costs are defined as those associated with investigation, prosecution,
indigent defense, jury impanelment, expert witnesses, interpreters,
incarceration, and other adjudication costs of aggravated murder cases.
(1)
The office of public defense, in consultation with the Washington association
of prosecuting attorneys and the Washington association of sheriffs and police
chiefs, shall develop procedures for processing the petitions, for auditing the
veracity of the petitions, and for prioritizing the petitions. Prioritization
of the petitions shall be based on, but not limited to, such factors as
disproportionate fiscal impact relative to the county budget, efficient use of
resources, and whether the costs are extraordinary and could not be reasonably
accommodated and anticipated in the normal budget process.
(2) Before January 1st of each year, the office of public defense,
in consultation with the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys and
the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, shall develop and
submit to the appropriate fiscal committees of the senate and house of
representatives a prioritized list of submitted petitions that are recommended
for funding by the legislature.
